A record amount of money from independent groups has flowed in New Jersey’s statewide elections this year, ranking it the sixth greatest spending in any election nationwide, according to a new analysis.

Nearly $38 million has been spent on New Jersey’s elections so far, the most ever in any past election and more than twice the previous record of $15 million in 2009, figures released Thursday by the state Election Law Enforcement Commission showed.

Jeff Brindle, executive director of the commission, called the total “mind-boggling.”

“It’s a whole new world in New Jersey politics,’’ Mr. Brindle said.

Gov. Chris Christie faces a reelection contest against Democratic state Sen. Barbara Buono next week. All 120 legislative seats are also up for grabs, along with county and other local positions.

Independent expenditure groups are run by unions and other private interests, and don’t need to follow campaign finance laws. The donors are typically private, but they have to file reports on what campaigns they spend on and what they are paying for. They cannot coordinate with the campaigns on what issues and candidates they are advocating for.

The influx of outside spending comes in the wake of the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Citizens United case, which allowed corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts on campaigns. Since then, the money spent by independent expenditures have outpaced county party funding in New Jersey races.

New Jersey ranks sixth in the amount of independent expenditure spending so far, behind three elections in California, and ones in Ohio and Florida.

“We already are in the top ten state races of all time, and the election still isn’t over,” Mr. Brindle said.

A group backed by the New Jersey Education Association has spent the most, shelling out nearly $12 million so far on the gubernatorial and legislative elections. Groups supporting Democrats have outspent those Republican candidates by about two to one, the commission found.

As for the campaigns, Mr. Christie has vastly outspent Ms. Buono.

The Republican governor has raised more than $13 million and spent $9.2 million, according to commission figures. Ms. Buono took in $2.8 million and spent $2.5 million. Mr. Christie has $4 million in cash on hand, while Ms. Buono is down to $277,000.